• Excessive exposure can lead to frostbite, which causes a loss of feeling and a pale appearance in extremities, such as fingers, toes, ear lobes or the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, seek medical help.

• Also, consider pets and livestock. They will need extra food and drinking water and shelter.

• It's also important for residents to prevent damage to a home's water utilities by protecting pipes from freezing conditions, such as wrapping them in insulation or layers of newspapers and covering the newspapers with plastic to keep out moisture. Allowing a trickle of warm water to run from a faucet that is farthest from the water meter or one that has frozen in the past can help.